Spiritual Journey
by Madin312
Summary: After the escape from the North Pole, Zuko and Iroh were separated during a big storm. After waking up on the shore of a mysterious island, Zuko found a secret that has lain dormant for ten thousand years, the first Avatar. It'll rock both the material and the spirit world to it's core. Chose regular category instead of crossovers. Only use characters from 'Beginnings'.
1. Chapter 1 : The Beginning

_**Spiritual Journey**_

**Hi, there! This is my first multichapter fanfiction, so I hope I don't screw this up. I've written tons of oneshots, but never uploaded them. I'm bad at writing oneshots. Always had a knack on long stories. Anyway, I have always been fond of Wan since he was first introduced. So seeing, that both Korra and Aang are in the same universe, I figured that Wan exists in Aang's time too (of course, no shit…). What if he makes an appearance? Or better yet, what if he got involved with our favorite banished prince? Constructive criticisms are gladly accepted. Just no flaming, please… **

**I don't own the Avatar series, both of them… if I did Zutara and Borra would be a reality… I haven't decided if there will be any pairings beyond the canon one…**

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_Zuko and Iroh got separated because of a storm after their escape from the North Pole. After reaching the shore, he found a cave. What Zuko found inside would shake both the spirit world and the material world to its core. And possibly lend a hand in ending the war._

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Prince Zuko was tired. The scars on his body ached from the ordeal he and his uncle went through last night. Watching the remains of the failed invasion, he shook his head thinking that a twelve year old boy did this. Of course, all this would not have happened if that boy isn't the Avatar. Nobody had expected the Avatar to unleash the Ocean's wrath upon them. Admiral Zhao, the mastermind of the invasion, had not been so lucky. The Ocean was out for revenge, and the vengeful spirit got it. La dragged Zhao into its dark embrace of endless water. Last he saw of the proud man was when he had reached out to Zhao. Telling him to take his hand. Of course, Zhao had refused. Too proud to accept help from an exile. The chance for Zhao to live through that ordeal was slim to none.

Returning to the present, he took a deep breath and savored the light if the sun. Not that it would do a lot to rid him of the cold. Or the images of his nation's defeat from his mind. Zuko glanced at his uncle, who was silently tending their small makeshift raft. Though his work left much to be desired, it was enough to keep them floating. He didn't know how Uncle managed to create a raft during all that chaos. But he found out that he doesn't really care. They're together, they're heading to Earth Kingdom waters, and most importantly, they're alive.

Their natural body heat would keep them alive for a while. One of the perks of being a firebender. But the small amount of food they managed to salvage won't last for long. They agreed to spend their rations wisely and to eat only one pack of ration for a day. They'll be extremely hungry. But that way, they'll be able to survive longer.

"I'm surprised Price Zuko." Iroh spoke, breaking the silence that had plagued them since they set sail. "Surprised that you are not at this moment, trying to capture the Avatar..." His statement was met with silence. Usually the young prince would reply angrily at Iroh's attempt to calm the prince's raging spirit. Ranting about how capturing the Avatar would restore his honor to his father. Iroh glanced at his nephew. Zuko was staring the sea. His eyes were unfocused. His mouth was in a straight line. The usual glare was absent from his eyes. He hasn't been this tired in a long time.

"I'm tired..." Zuko spoke quietly. Almost a whisper. He closed his eyes. Letting them rest for a while. Sleep wasn't exactly in his top priority list prior to the invasion. He had spent the night planning his entry to the ice fortress. While it did not go exactly as planned, he had succeeded. And almost captured the Avatar. Only for the boy to slip between his fingers yet again. If only the cursed peasant wasn't there to foil his plans. While he was a decent firebender himself, he had not failed to notice how much she had improved in such a short time. Her talent reminded him of his sister. That had sparked something within him. He's mad at how other people had seemingly succeeded in their training with relative ease. While he, had to train for hours, sometimes until night in order to perfect a kata. First his sister, then now that Water peasant.

"Then you should rest," said Iroh as he put his hand on the young prince's shoulder. Offering small amount of comfort. "A man needs his rest." Zuko laid his body across the wooden board of their raft. His arms spread wide. Uncle went back to tending the raft, leaving Zuko to his own thoughts. As he closed his eyes again. He could not help but remember the last he saw his mother. Mother... she had always cared for Zuko. She was there for him every time he needed her. Until she was gone from his life. He had asked his father about his mother's whereabouts. His father always claimed that he doesn't know anything. Though Zuko felt that he knew something about it, he decided not to press further, in fear for his father's anger.

Now, after all that happened to him and his uncle, he went back to when he was nine. He still remembered her parting message as if it had just happened yesterday.

"_Mom?" Zuko shook his eyes tiredly. Adjusting his eyes to the dim light of the room, he saw his mother's face. As always, her face was full of worry. But right now her face was filled with an urgency that was never present on her face._

_Ursa kept glancing at her back. As if fearing that someone might found her. Zuko thought it as ridiculous, why would she be afraid? She's only visiting her son in bed... 'Why is she dressed like that? Is she going anywhere?'_

"_Zuko, please, my love, listen to me". __When she spoke, her voice was calm and soothing, but it also has a certain commanding tone to it that he kept himself awake in order to listen to her. Her hands kept him sitting upright so that she can see him directly in the eye._

"_Everything I've done, I've done to protect you." She enveloped him in a firm hug. As if by letting go of him, she would lose him forever. The sound of footsteps interrupted them. She looked warily behind her, like she was expecting someone to barge in through that door. When the person walking outside went past the room, she once again looked at him in the eye. _

"_Remember this, Zuko. No matter how things may seem to __change__, __**never**__ forget who you are._" _Stressing the word so that he may understand what she's saying. Zuko can only nod at her sleepily. She hugged him one last time and kissed his forehead. He was still confused at her actions. But found that he's to tired and sleepy to question her about it. Carefully, she laid his head back to his pillow and tucked him in bed. After glancing at her son one last time, she turns away and closes the door. Never to be seen again.._

'I am Prince Zuko, son of Ursa and Fire Lord Ozai, heir to the Dragon Throne.' Zuko opened his eyes. His eyes met the glare of the midday sun. His uncle was quietly sitting next to him. Probably meditating. Zuko thought that it was a good idea. Meditating or sleeping would consume less energy. But they have to be cautious too. You can't always tell what would happen at sea. He knew that. Especially after sailing the seas for three years straight. And adding the incident at the North Pole, after seeing the Ocean Spirit's wrath, he knew he can't keep his guard down.

And he couldn't forget his luck. Or lack of it. Luck was never his strongest point in life. After his banishment, he had always fought for the things he wanted. And he had never given up. He was proud to admit that it is one of his good points. That's what made him able to find the Avatar. Something generations before him had failed to do.

Zuko closed his eyes. Letting sleep took over him. Knowing that Uncle was silently watching their surroundings despite his silence. Zuko knew that Uncle would wake him up if there was anything wrong. Now he was even more determined to capture the Avatar. But first, they'll have to get out of this endless ocean before them in one piece.

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The Fire Lord sat in his throne, the flames in front of him danced to his mood. Slow and mesmerizing when he was calm, and flaring dangerously when in anger. It gives him an aura of power to his subjects. And it gives him a sense of satisfaction to know that his subjects knew the consequences of his ire. Unfortunately for the messenger in front of Ozai, the flames seem to be on the latter category. It flares brightly. The heat had started to draw sweat from the man's temple. The Fire Lord was not happy with how things had turned out. Ozai can see the fear on the messenger's face despite the man staring at the floor hoping the Fire Lord would not lash out in anger at him.

'Good,' thought Ozai. Let him squirm in fear. He can see when people withdraw information from him. Not that they would, but it feels nice to know that he is above everyone else, and everyone else bows down to his will. Or else they will suffer for their insubordination.

His face held no emotion as he silently read the letter he was holding in his hand. Ozai was not happy to found out of Zhao's failure. But he was even more furious at his older brother's involvement at foiling the invasion plan. He, the Dragon of the West had just committed a high level treason. And in the Fire Nation, treason is not forgiven so easily. Though he was not very surprised to hear that his failure of a son had failed to capture the Avatar yet again. Well, what did he expect? Zuko had never met his expectations. He was useless. What use is a son that can't contribute anything to his father?

Sure, his son had found the Avatar, something generations before him had failed to do. But Ozai remembered his orders clearly. And it is to capture the Avatar. And he had disappointed him repeatedly. Given the reports he had read of his son's activities, the Avatar had slipped easily from the Prince's fingers many times now. Such failure is intolerable and Ozai finds himself at the end of his generosity.

Dismissing the messenger, he rolled the scroll he held and gave it to the servant beside him who readily accepted the task given to her. Even without orders, the servants knew that all messages to the Fire Lord are to be stored at his office, unless told to do something else to the messages.

"Inform my daughter that I require her presence here immediately." He had calmed himself after giving the scroll, the flames in front of him returning to its usual state.

"Yes, My Lord." The servant still held the letter in her hands. But slowly went out of the room in order to carry her tasks. The door behind the curtain closed with a small sound. Leaving the Fire Lord alone with his thoughts. A smirk slowly crept its way onto Ozai's face. His eyes gleaming in the dark room with a certain fire in it, a plan hatched itself in his head. Waiting patiently for Azula, he silently complimented himself for his brilliant idea. This way, he can take out two birds with one stone.

'Azula is going to like this…'

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The oasis has been peaceful place for a long time. A haven for spirits in this troubling time. The man sitting by the pond was silently feeding a bird. He held out his hand to pet it. The bird does not squirm away; instead it welcomed the hand of the man before it. Besides the man, sat other kinds of spirits and animals. Happily drinking and chatting to each other. Some are eating fruits taken from the trees surrounding them. The surroundings were still as green and lush as ever. For ten thousand years, they had lived peacefully. Well, as peaceful as they can get with the humans' constant conflict with each other. Until the beginning of the Hundred Year War, conflict between humans has never escalated to such heights.

The war had disrupted the balance of both the material world and the spirit world. Spirits came here as a mean to escape the war that had plagued their world. The River of Lost Souls kept getting new visitors (prisoners) each day. And from what he saw, most seems to be warmongers or crooks that had somehow offended the spirits. The spirits doesn't seem to want to care about it anymore. Better to leave it as it is. They thought that most of those men probably deserve it.

Wan let out a long sigh. The first Avatar tucked his hair behind his ear and stood up, picking his empty cup of tea. Passing his longtime friend Jing the aye-aye spirit, Wan gave a small smile. The tall spirit smiled back. His eyes gazed at Wan with a concern that is not unfamiliar to Wan. As he refilled his cup of tea, he blew the steam of its surface. He drank it slowly, savoring the taste filling his mouth and warming his throat.

"What's bugging you Stinky?" Jing has always been straight. No coddling. If there's a problem, he'll just ask you right away what the problem was. Wan lifted his gaze from his steaming tea and once more, let out a long sigh.

Slowly, he began "I'm just worried…" Jing just stared at him, waiting for him to continue. "Tui almost died and the current Avatar is still a child."

"You're not the only spirit worrying about this, Stinky… and can't you just talk to the kid?" He waved his arms around in a tired manner.

"Unless the spiritual veil is really thin I can't. Besides, the kid would never think to contact me. I'm ten thousand years his senior…"

Jing sighed, "Sometimes, I wonder if you can just barge in with that failure Roku…"

"Don't call him that! You can't expect him to just kill his friend!" defended Wan.

"And what has that done? His indecisiveness has allowed that Bastard Sozin to start the war! And to add to the problems, that Airhead decided to freeze his butt in an iceberg for a century!" Jing hissed at Wan. While it was not rare for the spirit to raise his voice, he rarely became serious when discussing something with other people. And he rarely raises his voice at Wan. Something other occupants of the oasis had begun to notice many, many years ago. Some had shied away from Jing, not wanting to get between the two friends.

"Look, I know you're worried… but mulling about it won't solve the problem. Do you trust the kid?" asked Jing as he placed his hand on his friend's shoulder.

Wan looked at his old friend once again and replied, "I don't distrust the boy, I'm worried about him."

"Then let the boy do his job. And you should rest up your mind. And besides, I heard Ànmó is coming today. You know she'll be happy to give you a massage." Jing winked at him. This only drew a funny looking scowl from Wan's face. But he cannot deny that Ànmó has always been kind and nice. And a massage can't hurt.

Both of them always talked their problems away during one of her sessions. Loading off their minds and sometimes just chatting away for hours. It is no secret that Ànmó is rather fond of Wan. But none knew of Wan's feelings about this matter. It's not that he doesn't care. But Wan himself made it clear to Jing that he doesn't want to give the others funny ideas.

Sometimes Wan wonders if he should visit Yangchen at her mountaintop. Of the latest generations of Avatar, he had liked Yangchen the most. While he respected Kyoshi's devotion to serving justice, watching her threaten kings gets old after a while. Not to mention her 'no nonsense' attitude sometimes irked him. Can't she have some fun once in a while? One of the things he was rather fond of the young airbender was his fun-loving attitude. Both Wan and Aang would get along really well, that he knew.

Wan glanced at his friend Jing and smiled at his attempt to comfort him. Folding his arms behind his head, Wan laid back onto the ground beneath him. To his right, Jing did the same thing. And they watched the sky together. Just watching the clouds drift by and enjoying the peace while it lasts.

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**So that's the end of the first chapter. The first parts will try to follow the canon. It'll get different as the story goes along. Hope it wasn't too bad. I kinda imagine that not all spirits are fond of all the Avatars. Especially ones like Kuruk (lazy) or Roku (indecisive)… and Jing means 'eye'… get it? Eye-eye, aye-aye? Uh… I sound a lot like Sokka. And Ànmó means 'massage' in Mandarin. I know, not very creative. But it sounds nice to my ears. Let's hope it sounds nice to yours too… I've never been too creative in naming things. Since I only named my cat and dog… well, 'Cat' and 'Dog'. **

"**Dog! Come here!" it sounds even weirder in Indonesian… 'Cause it sounds like an insult, "Anjing! Sini!" okay, enough of my ranting… any form of review/comments are appreciated. Just no flaming, please…**


	2. Chapter 2 : The Storm

_**Spiritual Journey**_

_**The Storm**_

**The second chapter to my story. I try to update as fast as I could. And today is the final day of my two week school holiday. I'll try to make the most of it. Which is only a few hours left. I've been thinking of where this story is going. And while I already have a certain idea for the destination, planning Zuko's journey will be a lot harder. Still, I'll try to impress.**

**I do not own Avatar, both series. If I do own Avatar, it'll be bloodier, so much bloodier that Nickelodeon would refuse to show it on their channel.**

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Opening his eyes, Zuko straighten his aching back. He rubbed the sleep of his eyes, adjusting to the morning light. It has been a few weeks since their escape. Their rations have all been spent during the first week. And they still haven't seen any sign of land.

In order to survive they had agreed that Zuko would hunt for fish and Iroh would roast their hunt. Especially after Zuko's last attempt at cooking. Overcooked had been a total understatement. Even the fishes would not even dare to try to eat Zuko's cooking. This had amused Iroh very much. The same cannot be said for his nephew, who was breathing fire when he saw that other fishes did not even dare to approach his burnt fish.

When he rose to sit straightly, he saw Iroh looking over the horizon. His usually peaceful face scrunched deep in thought.

"A storm is coming," said Iroh quietly.

A part of Zuko wanted to retort at his uncle that the weather is fine. There were barely any clouds in the sky, and the wind was in their favor, dragging them south. But Zuko knew better now. The last time he had ignored his uncle's warning of an impending storm, he had almost lost his helmsman. Of course, now they have nothing but the clothes on their back, and each other. He won't lose his Uncle. Not like he lost Mother…

"What should we do Uncle?" asked Zuko, waiting for one of his uncle's many wisdoms to fly out of his uncle's mouth.

"Zuko, take one of our spare blankets. Prepare yourself for the storm!" commanded Iroh in a stern voice not unlike the voice of the once great general who laid siege on the great city of Ba Sing Se.

"What about you?" asked Zuko.

Uncle stared at him calmly and grabbed both his shoulder, "I'll close the sail and mend the ropes for a bit. I'll join you after that." He pushed Zuko down, prompting him to sit down on the raft. Zuko can't help but feel something gnawing at his chest. Something doesn't feel right. Still, he obeyed his Uncle, unsure of what to do.

"If you need any help, just call me, Uncle."

"I'll be fine Zuko, I'll be right in front if you." His uncle assured him in a calm and soft voice.

Still, Zuko can't help but feel that the short distance between him and his uncle felt like miles. Not wanting to be useless, he sat himself firmly at the edge of the raft and began looking for anything suspicious or unsettling.

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Aang sat quietly on Appa's head. Mulling over what happened at the North Pole. They had been happy and joyful when the invasion stopped. The Ocean was literally on their side that night. The vengeful spirit had created a massive wave that sank most of the invasion forces.

The magnitude of his path of destruction had not registered on Aang's mind until they had passed the watery graveyard on one of the tribe's ship. He saw what happened to the ships. Wrecks were floating on dark waters and Aang thought he saw the frozen body of a man floating near that wreckage.

He had turned his head away and immediately asked Pakku to train with him, if only to rid himself of what he saw. Returning to the present, he concentrated on flying Appa now. They had left the Water Tribe ships to ride on Appa, having agreed that going by Appa is much faster. Especially after the long amount of time Appa had rested.

Aang turned his head to look behind him and saw Sokka and Katara bickering over their supplies as usual. Seeing the familiar sight before him, Aang smiled to himself. In the short time he had spent with them, Sokka and Katara had become one of the most important people in his life. Everyone else sees him as the Avatar. But the two of them only sees him as Aang. The boy who had woken from an iceberg and saved their village. The boy who they had fun with every day. The boy who they had promised will stay by his side until the end.

It brought a sense of normality to his life. Even before running away, after it was announced that he was the Avatar, the one who had still treated Aang as a friend was Master Gyatso. But now Gyatso was dead. His people were all extinct save for him. The revelation that he was the last airbender had shaken him.

Hard to believe that he had frozen himself in that iceberg for a full century. And when he woke up. Everything had changed. The Fire Nation had turned evil, the Southern Water Tribes were no longer the bustling and great city like it was, and all his old friends were dead. Well, save for Bumi. Bumi along with Appa were the only things from his old life that had made it into the new era.

Looking forward once again, Aang noticed the difference in the wind current. His expression immediately changed to a serious one. All trace of the goofy and fun-loving kid gone for the moment.

"Guys!" Aang called to his two companions.

"What is it Aang?" asked Katara. Her ocean blue colored eyes stared at him worriedly at the seriousness of his voice.

"I think we'll have a big storm tonight. I can't find a safe spot to land fast enough."

They all knew what Aang meant by that. They had encountered a situation similar as this once on their way to the North Pole. And they weren't going to make the same mistake again. They had nearly lost Sokka that day.

Sokka took a step forward on the saddle so Aang can hear him clearly, "Okay Aang. Anything else we should know? I gotta secure our rations here."

Katara nudged her brother's shoulder, "That's all you can think? Food? It's our lives that we should worry about right now!"

"Well, without food we might as well be dead. And I'm not letting anything happen to my seal jerkies!" Sokka hugged his pack of jerkies. Still not forgetting how Aang had used his previous one as firewood. He still remembered how good the smoke smelled.

Aang tightened his grip on the reins. Miles away, he could see the storm clouds that that's heading towards them. He braced himself. He would not repeat the same mistake. He never liked storms. It always reminded him if the day he had frozen himself. That mistake had cost the entire world. And now it's his job to fix it.

He wiped the sweat that came from his nervousness from his forehead. Mentally preparing himself for the challenge up ahead. Hoping to any spirits out there that things would go well.

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Things are not going well for them. The storm that had arrived was much worse that they had anticipated. Zuko kept holding the edge of their raft in order not to fall into the dark waters. They did not have enough rope for them to tie themselves to the raft. And taking ropes from their already fragile raft might risk the chance of sinking of sinking. Zuko wished they had risked sinking instead.

His raw skin sting from the constant pressure of the harsh rain. Uncle was holding to the pole of their raft. His were closed to protect themselves from the harsh rain. The robes that they had barely did anything to keep themselves warm. While they knew of this fact even before the storm arrived, it still doesn't hide the fact that if the storm doesn't kill them, the cold will.

"Are you okay Zuko?" shouted Iroh from the other side of the raft. Zuko was barely able to hear the sounds coming from his uncle's mouth.

'My skin hurts, I can barely breathe, my wounds had started to sting again, and I can barely see in front of me. So yeah, I'm fine,' thought Zuko sarcastically. But he knew Uncle would not appreciate that kind of answer in the slightest bit. He forced himself to shout as clearly as he could through the storm.

"Yes! Yes Uncle, I'm fine!"

While his Uncle probably doesn't believe that, he dropped the matter for now. The storm was not unlike the one they had encountered during their hunt for the Avatar. But the difference of their transportation makes the biggest difference. There were no metal walls to keep them from the storm. No roof over their heads to keep them dry. And no crew to help them. Zuko has no idea of his crew survived the invasion. Captain Jee and his men… How Zuko wished they were here to help them now.

Suddenly, one of the ropes holding their raft had gotten torn loose. His uncle immediately left the safety of the flagpole and had begun to tend the rope. His face scrunched in concentration. After tying the rope again and making sure it's tight enough to hold the raft from breaking apart, Iroh went back to his previous position by the pole.

Zuko was glad that his uncle had done the deed successfully. But in his relief, he had unconsciously loosened his grip on the raft.

Suddenly a wave jerked the raft. Iroh managed to grab for the pole of the raft. But Zuko, who had loosened his grip weren't so lucky.

Zuko could feel the water filling his vision. It was a moment later that he realized that he was submerged in water. He frantically waved his arm. Searching for something to grab. It was then that he saw an arm reaching towards him. He desperately tried to reach for it. But a huge wave had hit him. Making him spin uncontrollably in the water. he gasped and swallowed some sea water. Zuko gagged at the salty liquid he had swallowed. He tried to swim upwards and managed to get his head out of the water. He gasped for air. Desperately inhaling as much air as he could before the wave drowned him again,

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Iroh was stricken with fear the moment he saw that Zuko had fallen into the water. He tried to search for his nephew in the midst of the storm. He had almost fell to the water himself, luckily he had managed to steady himself before he was able to fall. It was then he heard the sound of gasping to his right. It was barely noticeable, especially in the midst of the storm.

He glanced to his right to confirm his suspicions, and true to that, there his nephew was, struggling for air and flailing his arms desperately to grab anything to be able to float. Iroh thanked the spirits that his nephew was at arm's reach. Iroh steadied himself before extending his hand to his nephew.

"Take my hand Zuko!" Iroh shouted at the top of his lungs. His hope soared when Zuko managed enveloped his hand in a tight grip. Only for it to come crashing down again when a wave had crashed onto them, separating their arm.

"ZUKO!" Iroh shouted desperately, hoping that the young prince could hear him. It was then he noticed a bald head with a distinct phoenix tail emerging out of the water.

In a last desperate attempt to resque his drowning nephew, Iroh jumped into the water. Swimming as fast as he could to reach his nephew. Just because he's a Royal Firebender, doesn't mean he can't swim.

He tried to reach his nephew. But it was as if the ocean was fighting against him. Dragging his nephew further into its dark embrace. A wave struck him, effectively dragging him along with it a few meters backwards.

Seeing swimming as a futile effort, he reached back for their raft which thankfully had not gotten far from him. Climbing on top of it, he saw that the flagpole he had used to hoist their sail snapped and dangling uselessly by the side of the raft.

He glanced back to look for his nephew once more. But the sight that greeted him had sent his hopes crashing down to its deepest core. His nephew was nowhere to be seen.

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Wan hurriedly ran as fast as he could to get back to his house. His friends Jing and Anmo right beside him. Anmo had just arrived just a few hours ago. The rain had started so suddenly.

One would think that the spirit world did not experience things such as rain or storms. But it actually experiences the same kind of weather the material world has.

Anmo's robes were wet. The spirit ran as fast as he could along with him and Jing. It was just bad luck that it suddenly rained when the three of them were walking together. Her long blue hair flipped wildly behind her, wetting anyone standing behind her. Which thankfully, there isn't.

Wan could see his home that he shared with Jing. It wasn't large; it was simple and enough to accommodate four people at most. Some spirits had chosen to take shelter by the front of the house where a simple roof kept them dry.

Wan opened the door and let two of his friends enter the humble house. Some small animals followed them in. Wan doesn't mind about it. The animals know enough not to make a mess inside. Jing had thrown a fit the last time that happened.

Wan closed the door after making sure that no one was outside anymore. He let out a long sigh, not unlike the ones he let out just this morning. Glancing at his friends, he noted how Anmo had probably gone to the washroom to rid herself of her wet robes. Anmo visited the place quite often. So she had one day decided to keep some of her clothes there in case she wants to stay the night.

And it looks like it was one of those nights.

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Anmo had changed her robes, and now was drying her hair with a towel from Wan's wardrobe. She and Wan met about a thousand years ago. It was similar to their situation now. It was raining and they were also running for shelter. Except that time, it was nowhere near Wan's house and Jing wasn't present with them.

They had taken shelter under a tree. Thankfully the leaves were thick enough to prevent the rain from soaking them even more. They had chatted the hours away waiting the rain to pass.

She, like Wan, was originally a human. At a young age, she was abandoned because her parents can't afford to keep her around. She had learned to survive by herself. Gifted with the ability to talk to spirits but not to see them, she paid attention to her surroundings. By listening to the sounds of spirits, she can differentiate spirits just from the sound alone.

_Anmo looked around her surroundings. She was thirsty and hungry. And the weird sounds only kept getting louder. As she walked down a steep slope in the forest, she heard the sounds of rustle in the bush. She stilled her body. Waiting for the assailant to leap out of the bush. But no one came._

_She let out the breath she was holding and was about to continue walking when she heard a growl in front of her. It was then that she realized that her assailant was invisible to her. But she wondered in amazement that she can hear the creature. _

_The footsteps of the creature had gotten farther down the forest. Meaning it cannot see or hear her. Anmo rubbed her ears, not entirely convinced that she had just heard right._

Listening to spirits wasn't the only thing she could do. Her hands were unnaturally gifted. It was as if the spirits had a hand in the matter. She was skilled in cooking, painting, sewing, and many other talents. This had allowed her to easily find herself with any job available. But she was most famous for her gift of massage and soothing the body. Usually, she would only take female customers. She doesn't trust males. She thought males as a bat-wolf in human clothing. They look harmless. But get too close and they'll attack.

This particular talent has gained the interest of the Royal Family of the Earth Kingdom. She was chosen as the family's chief servant. And they loved her. She was loyal to the kingdom, and the entire palace respected her.

"_What do you require of me Milady?" asked Anmo in a bow._

"_None for now young lady." The Earth Queen has always been kind to her servants. Never raising a hand against them. Reprimanding them kindly if the servants made a mistake._

_Anmo gave one last bow before exiting the chamber. She was walking down to her private quarters when a voice alerted her._

"_Psst…" from the shadows emerged the young Princess of the kingdom. Her left hand was holding a platypus-bear doll and her right hand holding the door to her room open._

_Anmo came to her side and asked, "What's wrong Princess?"_

_The Princess just sniffed and reached closer to Anmo. "There's something in my room…"_

"_I'm sure it's nothing Princess."_

"_Please, check it just once!" the Princess pleaded. The corners of her eyes were glistened by the moonlight with small tears._

"_Alright Princess…" Anmo sighed. Knowing that this isn't the first time the young Princess had asked the same thing from the other servants. But this is the first time the Princess had asked this from her._

_Upon entering the room, she saw the moonlight that shone through the windows, and held the Princess' shoulder._

"_See? There's nothing here. Come on, I'll tuck you to bed."_

_The Princess moved to her bed as instructed by the chief servant. She laid herself on the soft mattress and closed her eyes as Anmo draped the blanket over her small body._

"_Good Night, my Princess…" a small smile crept its way onto Anmo's beautiful face._

_She exited the room and exited through the door, but not before remembering to shut the windows tightly and quietly closed the door, not wanting to disturb the sleeping Princess._

_As she walked down the quiet hallway, she stopped for a moment to quietly observe the moon. Anmo always wondered how such beauty came into existence. _

_She was about to continue her walk when she heard the door behind her closed. Glancing behind her, she became wary when she realized there was no one there. She stared at the door. Waiting for something._

'_The Princess!' thought Anmo worriedly. She took a step towards the room when her arm jerked backwards._

_She was about to let out a scream when everything went dark._

That same night, a tragedy befell the Kingdom. A tragedy that shaped Anmo's final moments and the beginning of her new life. Her life went spiraling downwards that night.

_Anmo woke up from her sleep, feeling groggy and tired. An unusual occurrence as she usually wakes up without a hitch. She lifted her hands to rub her eyes, but stopped when she saw her hands._

_It was covered in blood. Her robes were covered in the same red liquid and by her bedside was something she could not fathom._

_A broadsword. It was bathed in blood. It stood upright stabbed to the floor, as if taunting her. _

_She stared at it, wide eyed and confused. 'What happened?'_

"_OPEN THIS DOOR!"_

_She let out a gasp of surprise. It was the voice of a man banging the door. There were many voices outside. Some louder than others. Or was it just her?_

'_What did I do?' she asked herself as she panicked and stood up from her bed. She was about to answer the door, still in a dazed state when the door broke down, revealing men with spears and earthbenders who were ready for her right behind them._

'_What did I do?'_

The Princess body was found lying on her bed. Her throat slit and stabbed through the chest. The trail of blood led to the chief servant's private room.

The people felt betrayed that one of the most respected staff had committed such treachery. They did not heed her pleas or her denial about her involvement. The King and Queen were filled with grief and anger. They had her tortured and locked away while they discussed the matter concerning her fate. And all evidences led to her and her alone.

"_BANISH THE BITCH!" shouted the enraged queen. Her usually tidy hair was in a mess. Her eyes were soaked with tears._

"_Put her in the Si Wong Desert!" some advisors gasped at the Queen's statement. Her gaze did not waver however. "May she suffer for her sins before dying under the scorching heat of the sun!"_

After a lengthy discussion, Anmo was banished and thrown to the Si Wong Desert without any food or water or any survival gears. A fate most deems to be worse than death. She did not survive long in the desert. And the passing travelers dared not to help her. Knowing who she was. Word spread fast in the Earth Kingdom.

Hunger and dehydration had killed her. Even she, one of the most talented woman in the Earth Kingdom can't survive in such condition.

It was then after she drew her last breath and her vision engulfed by darkness that she saw she was no longer in the desert. She was in a thick forest. Her clothes were different too. Indigo colored robes cling to her form. Confused, the woman begun to explore her surroundings, just like when she was a little girl.

She wandered around, learning about her new home for weeks. That was when she met Wan. And, well… the happy life she lived now began.

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o

She sighed to herself when she realized that she's keeping the others waiting. Putting the brush that was used on her hair, she straightened her robes and looked in the mirror if she was presentable enough. She smiled to herself and opened the door to the main room.

Wan was sitting lazily on a chair, just watching the rain. His head nodding every now and then. Jing was in the kitchen, probably making some tea. The house isn't exactly tidy (sigh, men…). But it looks comfortable and it feels like home.

She watched as he woke up to the sound of thunder. It was rare for thunder to be found in the spirit world. Sometimes the rain here can be harsh. Not unlike the one that was happening right now. But Thunder was very rare. Last thunder struck, it was a sign that something will happen. Something that will disrupt the balance of the world.

The calm and soothing atmosphere of the rain was gone. Wan glanced warily at Jing. As if expecting something bad to befell them. The three of them still remembered the last time thunder had struck. It was exactly one-hundred years ago, at the start of the war. Fire Lord Sozin had ordered the eradication of the Air Nomads, disrupting the balance of the entire world.

Now thunder had struck again. For what reason, they don't know. And they're not too thrilled to find out about it either.

A tense silence filled the room. Enveloping them into its cold embrace.

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o

Avatar Roku watched the progress of his latest incarnation. The young Air Nomad was holding the reins of his spirit animal and guiding him and his friends to safety. He could see the Water Tribe siblings holding Appa's saddle for dear life. While this situation may seem life-threatening, Roku had no doubt that they will find a way out of the storm and into the safety of land.

He turned his head to the right and saw a very different vision. While he was also trapped in the same storm that had befell the young Avatar, this young man wasn't so lucky. He has no one to help him right now. Separated from his beloved uncle and left with no shelter or somewhere to rest. The prince had given up on fighting the stormy seas. He was floating like a ragdoll, going where the wave brought him.

While Roku was worried for the safety of his kin, he knows that watching the progress of the young Avatar was much more important.

Roku looked back to his left and was greeted with the sight of the Avatar and his friends greeting sunlight. They had passed the storm. Aang had let Appa swim through the sea. Letting him rest for a bit. Knowing that the bison deserves it after the tiring ordeal they had just passed.

Roku smiled at the Avatar's joy. The boy deserves some rest after all he had endured. But glancing to his right, his smile immediately dropped. He wished there was something he could do for the young Prince. But the Prince's destiny was his own. He did not know where destiny will take the man. But he knew that Zuko's destiny will be something that even the spirit world can't ignore.

Roku can only offer silent prayers to the young man. The rest was left at the hands of Zuko himself.

0o0o0o0o0o0o0oo0o0o0o0o0o

**Chapter end! I never thought I'll ever reach 4k words. I know that isn't very much to read, but writing this when I have school tomorrow, isn't exactly the most ideal time. I can almost hear my parents banging through that door, demanding that I sleep. Of course, I can just open my phone and write my story there. Or I can just sleep like a healthy young man that I am a (or should be).**

**Anyway, should I upped the rating to M? Considering how I just wrote about a kid being assassinated. I can surely tell you that there will be more scenes like that. So I'm asking if I should just change the rating into M this early in the story.**

**And the reason for the detailed past of Anmo, is that her past will play a rather big role in the story. So expect more from Anmo. **

**Zuko and Wan won't meet until a few more chapters. So stay tuned. I've thought about how their meeting will turn out. And I can tell you that you won't even expect it,**

**So leave a review. Any criticisms are welcome. Just no flames. Flames are my weakness. *gasp***


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